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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · current · fine · court · last · stand · wind · bank

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. last — finally
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — of a king
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — to go on
  13. current — electric
  14. court — for sport
  15. last — final
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. court — of law
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. current — happening now
  23. bank — of a river
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com